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Windows 7: Enable test mode to solve USB problems?

My HP notebook computer suddenly lost function in all 4 usb ports (3 are usb3 and the usb2 disappeared entirely out of device manager). After trying to fix it myself and working for 2 hours with HP tech support, they still don't work. It's out of warranty so took to local repair shop. They say files are corrupted and it needs a clean install of Windows 7. I am an old, crabby woman living in the winter in Florida. All my software is in Michigan so I really don't want to do a clean install right now and lose all my software until I drive back up north in May. (No, my house in MI is locked up tight and there is no one who can get into my house with the snow they have been getting.) Tech guy said maybe a workaround would be to press F8 and enable test mode so the USB drivers would work. He said he would try it and call back. He hasn't called back, so who knows if it will work. Will it? If not, anyone have a better idea short of reinstalling windows? Would upgrading to windows 8 get my computer to recognize the drivers?

How would you solve it? I tried all the usual stuff like taking out the battery, uninstalling drivers in device manager, etc. The tech guy says its not a hardware issue.

I'm not saying I know the answer, we need you to have the PC and run some tests. In other words, we need more information. I just think bringing a PC into a shop for USB problems and telling you its file corruption needing new install is kind of a long leap. Maybe I'm wrong but I would think other things could/would be tried before telling you we need to start over.

Ask the guys in the shop to try running Ubuntu or any other Linux distro on it. This way they can check to see if the USB ports are recognized in another operating system. If they are then you know it is a problem with Windows. If they are not it is a hardware problem.

Ubuntu can be run from a USB stick without installing it on the hard drive, so it is a great, temporary tool to use in cases like yours.

Enable test mode to solve USB problems?

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